36: Chapter 36 All three of you, become my sisters-in-law!

Wang Xiaopang also changed into board shorts, but he didn't get into the water. He sat on a lounge chair by the pool, wearing sunglasses, holding a drink that could have been juice or something else, claiming to be sunbathing, but his eyes behind the sunglasses would dart into the pool from time to time.

Seeing President Chen Ran approach, Wang Xiaopang immediately sat up straight, took off his sunglasses, and said with a righteous face, "Brother Ran, morning! I see the water quality is good, I was just considering going in for a swim to exercise!"

President Chen Ran couldn't be bothered to expose him, smiled, and walked to the poolside.

Chen Yan saw him and immediately called out, "Brother! Come down and play with us! The water is so comfortable!"

Xiao Lin also turned her head, her wet hair sticking to her cheeks, her eyes curved, "Brother President Chen Ran, can you swim? Teach us! I feel like my technique is always wrong, and I can't swim fast."

"Yes, yes, Brother, teach us!" Wen Wen and Xiao Yu immediately chimed in, swimming to the edge of the pool, looking up at him with water droplets on their faces and bright smiles.

President Chen Ran knew how to swim, and his technique was decent.

He looked at them, then at Wang Xiaopang, who was looking expectant on the side, and felt that since he had nothing to do in the morning anyway, he nodded, "Alright, wait for me."

He went back to the room to change into swimming trunks. When he came out, he still wore that simple white T-shirt on his upper body.

He was tall, and thanks to the system's modification and recent exercise, his physique was well-proportioned—not overly muscular, but looking very sturdy.

Sunlight shone on him, and even before he touched the water, he had already attracted quite a few gazes.

He walked to the edge of the pool, did a few simple warm-up exercises, and then got into the water.

The water temperature was just right, neither cold nor hot.

"Let's practice breathing and kicking first," President Chen Ran said to the girls who crowded around. "Don't rush, take it slow. Xiao Lin, your arm strokes can be smaller in amplitude but faster in frequency. Wen Wen, don't kick your legs too wide; keep them together and use your lower legs and insteps to generate power. Xiao Yu, your body is too tense; relax and imagine yourself floating on the water."

As he spoke, he demonstrated, his movements standard and fluid.

The girls gathered around him, learning very seriously, though their minds didn't seem to be entirely on swimming.

"Brother, am I doing this right?" Xiao Lin swam to President Chen Ran's side, intentionally making a big movement, splashing water onto President Chen Ran's face. She giggled, her body leaning closer to President Chen Ran with the waves.

President Chen Ran wiped his face, not angry, and reached out to support her arm to correct her posture, "Wrong, your arms should be like this, stroking diagonally downwards, not slapping the water flat."

His fingers touched Xiao Lin's smooth arm. Xiao Lin blushed slightly, but she didn't pull away; instead, she started learning even more seriously.

On the other side, Wen Wen pretended to lose her footing while treading water and, with an "Oops," fell toward President Chen Ran.

President Chen Ran subconsciously reached out to support her waist.

Wen Wen's waist was slender, and her skin was wet and smooth.

She steadied herself but didn't leave immediately, looking back at President Chen Ran and sticking out her tongue, "Thanks, Brother, it's a bit slippery in the water."

Xiao Yu was relatively reserved, but when President Chen Ran was guiding her kicking, she intentionally or unintentionally brushed her lower leg against his, then quickly retracted it, burying her face in her arms with only her red ears showing.

Surrounded by three girls—one asking about technique, another pretending to choke, and the third claiming a cramp—President Chen Ran was a bit overwhelmed.

He wasn't stupid; of course, he could sense the girls' little thoughts and moves.

But he didn't call them out, nor did he deliberately avoid them. He just maintained an appropriate distance, teaching the techniques seriously, offering light support when necessary, trying to treat everyone equally with a gentle but firm attitude.

Occasionally, he would crack a joke to dilute the subtle, ambiguous atmosphere.

"Alright, you guys, stop tormenting my brother!" Chen Yan had been watching for a long time, seeing her three roommates trying every trick to get close to her brother.

Although her brother hadn't done anything, the sight of him surrounded by beauties still made her feel a bit sour, as if her brother was being snatched away.

She swam over, squeezed between President Chen Ran and Xiao Lin, put her hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks, and looked from Xiao Lin to Wen Wen and Xiao Yu, her eyes rolling.

Suddenly, she said loudly, "I think you guys should stop fighting over him! It's meaningless to keep grabbing at him! How about this, I'll make the decision for my brother: the three of you, be my sisters-in-law! That should work, right? Keep it in the family!"

She said this out of annoyance, partly as a joke and partly out of spite.

Unexpectedly, the moment she finished speaking, the pool went quiet for a moment.

Xiao Lin, Wen Wen, and Xiao Yu looked at each other, exchanged quick glances, and then...

"Okay!"

"I agree!"

"I'd love that!"

The three of them spoke almost in unison, their voices crisp and smiling. Although their faces were a bit red, their eyes were bright, and they actually went along with Chen Yan's words!

President Chen Ran was correcting Xiao Yu's stroke when he heard this. His hand froze in mid-air, and the expression on his face became extremely colorful—like he wanted to laugh, but also like he had a headache, eventually turning into a wry smile.

He looked at his sister, his eyes full of, "You really know how to cause me trouble."

Wang Xiaopang, by the pool, spat out the drink he had just taken a sip of, "Pfft!" He choked and coughed, his eyes wide as he looked at the three youthful, stunning girls in the pool, then at the helpless President Chen Ran.

Finally, he let out a howl, "Damn! Heavens! Earth! Is there any justice left! Brother Ran! Share one with me! No, half a one would do!"

Chen Yan herself was stunned.

She had just said it off the cuff, wanting to annoy them and tease her brother. Who would have thought these three good friends would actually take the opportunity and agree immediately!

And "I'd love that"! Her face turned bright red, both embarrassed and angry. She pointed at them, "You... you guys! Hey! I was just saying! You actually took it seriously! Have you no shame! I'm going to scratch you to death!"

As she spoke, she pounced, claws out, towards Xiao Lin, who was closest to her. Xiao Lin laughed and dodged, and Wen Wen and Xiao Yu joined the fray. The four girls immediately started a chaotic mess in the pool, water splashing everywhere, with screams and playful scolding echoing in the backyard.

"Chen Yan, you're going back on your word!"

"You're the one who told us to be your sisters-in-law!"

"Exactly! We all agreed, you can't go back on it!"

"Pfft! Dream on! That's my brother!"

"So what if he's your brother? We advocate for free love now!"

"I'm going to scratch you little minxes to death!"

President Chen Ran watched the four girls splashing and playing in the water, revealing glimpses of their figures, and then looked at Wang Xiaopang by the pool, who was wearing an expression of utter despair, sighing at the sky about why heaven would create such beauty. He raised his hand and rubbed his temples.

Life was getting livelier by the day.

He shook his head, got out of the water from the other side, and picked up a towel to wipe his hair and body.

Forget it, let them play; they were young, and having energy was a good thing.

He walked to the lounge chair, sat down, and took a sip of his drink.

The splashing in the pool continued, sounds of water, laughter, and screams blending together, full of vibrant vitality.

The sun shone warmly on him, carrying the cool, damp moisture of the pool.

President Chen Ran leaned back on the lounge chair, closed his eyes, and savored this rare, noisy, and ordinary morning.

The evening would be a different world.

The splashing in the pool gradually subsided. The four girls were probably tired from playing and were hanging onto the edge of the pool, panting.

Chen Yan's hair was completely wet, sticking to her face. She wiped her face, looked at her brother lying on the chair, then looked at her roommates whose eyes were still darting toward her brother. She suddenly felt that since her brother was so outstanding, there would definitely be more and more girls who liked him in the future.

Someone like Lin Mengyao could just get lost sooner rather than later.

As for these ones here... Hmph, if they wanted to be her sisters-in-law, they had to get past her first!

She climbed ashore, wrapped herself in a large towel, sat on the chair next to President Chen Ran, and whispered, "Brother, for the auction tonight, is it okay if I wear the white dress I bought today?"

President Chen Ran opened his eyes, looked at his sister, and smiled, "Sure, my sister looks good in anything."

Chen Yan smiled contentedly, swinging her legs, and began to look forward to the scene at the auction tonight.

In the afternoon, the villa became even busier.

Christies sent a professional styling team over to give President Chen Ran his final image grooming.

Chen Yan and her roommates, with Lin Wei's help, changed into their evening attire and applied simple makeup.

The girls looked much more striking when dressed up, radiating youthful vitality.

Wang Xiaopang also changed into a suit he had gritted his teeth to buy, supposedly from some designer brand. It was so tight he could barely breathe. He checked himself in the mirror over and over, asking President Chen Ran, "Brother Ran, can I hold my own in this? I won't embarrass you, right?"

President Chen Ran looked and told the truth, "It's fine, just the tie is a bit tight, loosen it."

As the sunset began to rise, the motorcade was ready.

Everyone got into the cars and headed to the auction center where Christies was located in Providence.

The cars drove out of the villa area and merged into the evening traffic.

President Chen Ran sat in the car, watching the streetscape flowing outside the window. The relaxation on his face gradually faded, and his eyes returned to their usual calm and sharpness.

The lively daily routine was temporarily over.

Next, it was a golden battlefield.

He took out his phone, thought for a moment, and sent a message to Shen Wanqing, very simply, "The auction is about to start."

A while later, Shen Wanqing replied, also very simply, "Good luck, I'm watching."

President Chen Ran looked at the three words, smiled, and put away his phone.

The car drove steadily toward the building that would gather countless gazes and wealth tonight.

Outside the car window, the lights of Providence lit up one by one, foretelling the start of a grand feast.